Lord Rix

On the concluding day of what is Disability History Month https://www.rixinclusiveresearch.org/disability-history-month-2024/

And in the concluding month of what is the centenary year of the birth of Brian Rix, The Ustinov Prejudice Awareness Forum gives the Awareness Award to him to celebrate his achievements and to honour his memory. This remarkable man who was, like the man who inspires this Forum, his contempory Sir Peter Ustinov, a man of many parts, was again, like Sir Peter, a funny man who was very serious indeed about what he did, on stage, but more importantly and later increasingly, off it too.

The Citation For The Awareness Award Of The Ustinov Prejudice Awareness Forum

To Celebrate And Honour Brian Rix, Lord Rix:

This is to raise awareness of a recipient who raised awareness of issues that specifically and significantly related to the eradication of prejudice.

After many years of working as an actor, producer, or actor manager, in theatre, on film and television, to great effect and with much acclaim, in particular in the area of farce and comedy, Brian Rix, with a daughter who had Down Syndrome, decided to dedicate himself personally and professionally to work for the rights, wellbeing and advancement, of people with learning disabilities.

In an era when the default position with young babies with such disabilities was to put them into care and in an institution, Brian Rix, with his stalwart wife and support, fellow performer and popular actress, Elspet Gray, kept their daughter with them, and utilised this experience to campaign to the benefit of others with disabilities. We celebrate his joyous nature and creative talent. We honour the lasting achievements  and innovative efforts.

Brian Rix applied for the post of head of the great organisation now known as Mencap, which campaigns for those with learning and related disabilities. He did not get the job! Aware of their making the wrong decision when their chosen candidate was found to be not suitable for the role, they invited him to take on the task. For years, as Secretary General, then Chairman, Brian Rix worked full time to enhance the lives of others, with the eloquence and intelligence of mind, warmth and strength of character, all of these combined, that he brought to all he did.

In an era, now, when many abort a foetus with Down Syndrome, we remember a man who knew of the potential , as well as the rights, of the young and vulnerable. As a chairman of the Arts Council Drama Panel, and as the Charman of its Disability Committee, he championed the creativity of people in the arts, and  with a disability, in ways that had an impact with funding and awareness increasing as a direct consequence.

Awarded a Peerage, he sat for many years in the House of Lords, making an active contribution  and  with real imput into legislation, in the UK, and knowledge disemination more widely. We award him with this award to further his legacy and continue ourselves to build on it, to fight the discrimination and stigma of people with disabilities, physical and mental, health issues.